Help me find a bike article. Does anyone remember this bike?

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alcatraz
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Joined: Mon Aug 29, 2016 11:19 am

by alcatraz

I'm planning a new build around a lightish aero frame and electronic shifting but without drop bars. It uses tt style bull horn bars, very sleek aero kind. (No tt portion in the middle, just flat bull horns).

Then I remembered I've seen a bike like this somewhere on the internet. Possibly even on weightweenies.

I just spent one hour trying to find it but no go.

It's probably not an aero frame but I do remember it was black and very light - ww build. Seems quite glossy to the look. Perfectly flat bull bars, very thin. Only rear wheel shifting.

Does anyone have the link to this custom build? I remember it was quite well documented with many professional pictures and information.

Can't remember if it was a site article or a forum post but I think it was an article. Few years old... maybe 3-5y.

Thank you for helping me. Cheers /a


by Weenie


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Nefarious86
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by Nefarious86

Impressive custom bits but still a "why" build. The upright position alone negates the aero advantave of the bars does it not?
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silvalis
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by silvalis

Modern take on a pursuit bike?
Chasse patate

moonoi
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by moonoi

Don't some competitive hill climbers build bikes in a similar fashion, I think one was posted here on WW not too long ago, and maybe the build the OP was originally referring to?

And a quick search I found it easily
viewtopic.php?f=10&t=142420

alcatraz
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by alcatraz

I just realised that I rarely use the drops on my bike. I have an aggressive fit and the tops/hoods/corners are all I use even when group riding and staying aero. Bending my elbows on the hoods gives me just as much (if not more) advantage than the drops. (I'm not a sprinter nor do I ride 200km rides (often)).

So I've been thinking with the advent of electronic shifting maybe it's time to retire the old style shifter/brakes for something more minimalistic.

Etap + disc brakes + aero cockpit + aero frame. Should be a plus/minus zero in drag and a 200+ gr weight advantage by removing drops/tape/brake+shifters.

/a

My reasoning for eliminating the drops is this. When I set the bars high enough to be comfortable in the drops they are too high on tops/hoods and vice versa. Just keep it all on the same plane is fine. Perhaps switch the stem if riding in winter or beginning of the season (when one is less flexible) and later change as flexibility increases.

dereksmalls
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by dereksmalls

Do you do mass start races? If so, you probably wouldn't be allowed to start with those bars

Svetty
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by Svetty

Working on flexibility and generating power in the drops is a better solution IMO. The argument that bending the elbows on the hoods is better than using the drops ignores the point that you can still bend your elbows so that your forearms are horizontal whilst using the drops.

topflightpro
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by topflightpro

But if you ride on the hoods as much as you say, why wouldn't you want to keep them? For me, when I'm riding on the hoods, my hands are usually pressed in to them - the hoods keep my hands on the bars. This set up removes that feature. You won't be able to just west your wrists where your hoods would have been.

joejack951
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by joejack951

alcatraz wrote:My reasoning for eliminating the drops is this. When I set the bars high enough to be comfortable in the drops they are too high on tops/hoods and vice versa.


I won't argue with your plan as it sounds like a fun build but based on the above it sounds like you simply need some shallow drop bars. They fix the exact problem you describe and you get to keep that additonal hand position. I don't use my drops often either as I'm plenty low on the hoods but it is nice to have them some times.

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alcatraz
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by alcatraz

I gotta admit that Hambini on youtube also helped to convince me that the cockpit on todays bikes is underdeveloped. There is more to gain making changes there than any other place on the bike really.

As for the drop I think my current bars have a reach of 80 and drop of 128mm if I'm not mistaken. Changing this to a hypothetical 100mm won't do much I think. It'd be nice to reduce the frontal area and eliminate the shifters. It's worth a try maybe.

I'm still sort of bummed out that going disc brake on an aero bike is defeating it's purpose. I wanna gain those lost 8w somewhere hehe. Yeah yeah "work on your position". I'm happy with my already low hoods/tops. My drops are just like 5cm over my front wheel so I'm low enough while still comfortable on long rides this way. (Bike is a 48cm Hongfu FM066SL with a slammed stem.)

About not having the bump of the shifter to rest against I'm not so sure it's all that important. With TT style brakes couldn't I either 1. angle the bars up a bit and/or 2. put pointer/middle fingers under the lever and brake with ring and pinky? That'd sort of lock me in place no? Good bar tape will help with slippage as well.

Thank you for all your comments.

/a

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